Masonic Jottings.—No. 51.

MASONIC JOTTINGS . —No . 51 .

BY A PAST PKOVISCIAL GHAND MASTER . CHRISTIANITY—3 IASONKY . Brother , Christianity is the Wellingtonia Gigantea . Masonrv is the Banana Tree .

AN ERXOR . Brother , it is an error , the words which have made English Freemasonry , which was a Particular Freemasonry only , a Universal Freemasonry also , are in the charges of 1738 .

MYTHICAL BEGINNINGS . Brother , sli g ht not mythical beginnings , slight not the mythical beginnings of Ancient Britain ' s Christianity ; sli g ht not the mythical beginnings of the world's Masonry .

THREE RELIGIONS AT THE EEVIVAL A correspondent sends some remarks upon the jotting " Church of Englandism , " " Freemasons ' Magazine , vol . 23 page 427 . He thinks we may assume the existence in the Eevival Lodge , 1717 , of three Relig ions , Church of Englandism , Scotch Ep iscopalianism , and Scotch Presbyterianism .

PRINCIPLES OP THE ENGLISH LODGE . The Princip les of the English Lodge are now what they were at the beginning of the last century , but their range is vastly greater . WHAT A JEWISH BHOTHJEK WHITES . A Jewish Brother , native of Paris , who has

recently visited many English . Provincial Lodges , writes that his own presence in them was the only observable evidence of the Universality of their Freemasonry . ' ENGLISH LODGE 1 V 17-1 S 70 .

The Lodge in 1717 was our English Lodge in its childhood , the Lodge in 1870 is our English Lodge in its manhood .

EEEXCH AND GERMAN LODGES Some lines in our Charges of 1723 furnished excellent foundation materials for French and German Lodges .

Masonry In The Western Provinces.

MASONRY IN THE WESTERN PROVINCES .

In the Annual Address of the Western Daily Mercury ( Plymouth ) , the following remarks are made upon the iiiafconic doings of the year , in the Western Provinces '•—" With respect to Freemasonry in [ he two Western

Provinces , v , c may state that in the Province of Devon two new Lodges have been opened , namely , one at Topsdutm , and another at Credition . ¦ The

Masonry In The Western Provinces.

" Semper Fidelis" Lodge at Exeter , has been consecrated , and St . Peter ' s Masonic hall , at Tiverton , dedicated . A Chapter has been opened at Honiton , and the progress of the Craft has been very satisfactory . The last returns of members are u p to the 31 st December , 1 SG 0 . They show somewhere

about 1 , 800 , but these figures are deceptive , because many of the brethren are returned as members of several Lodges . At the Provincial Grand Lodge , which was held at Tiverton , on the 21 st July , the . E . AT . the Prov . G . Master , the Rev . John Huyshe ,,

brought forward a motion of very great importance to the local charities connected with the Craft . Bya slight increase to the annual contribution of each member , so slight that it could not be felt , an addition * was made of about £ 80 per annum permanentl y to

the charitable funds . This proposal of the S . W . brother was unanimously adopted , although at first it met with some opposition , and by its adoption the Prov . G . Lodge will be able to increase their donationsto the General Masonic Charities of England , and toelect two or three additional Annuitants on the

Fortescue Fund , in this Province . " In the Province of Cornwall no new lodges have been warranted daring the past year . There are 24 . lodges now working in the Province , the oldest being dated A . D . 1751 , and the latest 1868 . The Province has doubled itself with respect to the number of

lodges every 35 years since the middle of the last century , but probably the culmination of that increase is attained . There are upwards of 1 , 000 ' members , and the majority of the lodges meet in lodge rooms of their own , apart from hotel influences .

The Provincial Grand Lodge was held at Truro , ou the 19 th of July , 1870 , when the Masonic Hall , built by the munificence of the 3 J . W . the Provincial Grand Master , Bro . Augustus Smith , was dedicated in ancient form , by the Prov . G . M . in the presence of the Prov . Gr . M . of Devon , and a large number of brethren .

The following new bye-law was then passed : — " No person , resident in any town or place where a lodge is established , shall be ballotted for into any lodge held elsewhere within this Province , unless the Master of the lodge , wherein he so seeks admission , shall previously iiiake inquiry in writing of the Master of

every lodge in the town or nearest the place where the candidate resides , touching the fitness of such candidate . The brother of whom such inquiry is made , shall make prompt reply thereto in writing , and it shall be incumbent on the Master to read the reply to the members of the lodge before the ballot is taken . "

There is also a directory for the Province , edited by Bro . V . J . Hughan , the P . G . Secretary of Truro , who is one of the most voluminous writers on Freemasonry in this kingdom . We ought also to state that Devon has also its Masonic directory . These manuals , compiled with much care , are very useful to the Craft .